The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1887-03-02
The Prohibitionists Preparing for Action
Position of the Brewers.


Detroit special to Chicago Tribune.1
Talks with delegates to the Republican State
Convention developed that the prohibition cam
paign throughout the State is TO be an earnest
and lively one, but that the opponents II tho
proposed amendment are Mt present making n
still hunt. While the friends OF prohibition are
openly making fight to secure popular approval
of the proposed amendment, the opposers o the
measure are making secretly what is equally as
thorough and vigorous u campaign. They are
rallying their forces throughout the Stgte and
impressing upon every man the danger OF mac
tivity in the presens emergency. They pre-
pairing statements to the public showing the
millions of active capital that will be pnray wed,
the vast amount Of property that will be rem
dered useless, the number of men who will be
thrown out OF employment the business inter-
ests that will be wiped out the sources of reve-
nue. that will be cut off, and the damage that
must result to almost every branch OF trade in
the State. They present carefully prepared
statistics and arrays Of facts to establish the
disastrous results which, it is claimed, must
follow in the event of prohibition law being
passed and enforced. The fact that the use OF
wine for sacramental purposes will be Included
in the sweeping prohibition Will be worked for
its full value, and where the best results are ex-
pectod from it as campaign thunder. Influential
Catholic priests in East Saginaw, Bay City, Grand
Rapids, and Detroit have already declared
against the amendment because il does not
except sacramental wines, and have been
quoted as saying that they will use fermented
wines for communion purposes. law or no law.
The Rev. Father Dempsey, Secretary of Bishop
Borgess., says the sentiment in the Catholic
Church in Michigan on the prohibition question
is divided very much as il is III other churches
As 20 communion wine, he says the church
cannot possibly do without it, and added: Il do
not SUPPOSE for moment, though. that even IL
no exception were made the law would be en-
forced against the church. II that were proba-
bic, every Catholic WHO had any regard for his
religion would oppose it, III the sale of wine
were prohibited we should have TO make it our
selves and take the chances of being MARTYR
lied" This from Secretary Dempsey may be
taken ex cathedra from tho Bishop OF Mich
igan.
The fact that sacramental wines are not ex-
cepted from the amendment Is regarded by
some of the delegates as no oversight and it
has been charged by some people that they were
purposely included to defeat the amendment
1t will make little difference with tire Protest
ant churches, many of whom do not use wine.
All argument is also advanced that, after the
wine is blessed, it is no longer wine.
According to many Of the delegates the chief
hope of the Observation-Disclosures lies in the big
German vote of the State. No people class
are more interested in defeating tie amend
ment. The brewers Of the State, who are most
ly German, are maturing plans for stubborn
fight. Some of them have expressed confidence
In their ability to convert majority of
the voters of the State to the belief
that temperance will be best conserved by de-
feating the amendment. In support Of this be-
lief they contemplate the collecting OF statistics
from the principal cities of the state showing
the number of persons committed for drunken
ness In the i've years preceding 1874, when the
present license law was enacted, and during
the last five years, and the number of saloons in
existence during the same periods. These sta
tistics it is claimed, will show that the license
law has 1~eatly aided the cause of temperance.
The brewers claim that IL the amend
ment passes every brewer in the State
will be reimbursed from the State Treas
ury for the value of tho property he
has invested in the brewery business.
The Prohibitionists will spend little or no
money in the contest, but they are or
ganizing in every hamlet in the State
and working as only men can work with
a fixed principle in view. Amendment
clubs are being formed at every four
corners. Seventy out of every 100 pastors out
side Of the Catholic and Episcopal Churches will
take an active part for the amendment The
result is very much in doubt. As the Prohibi-
ZIONIST will put n State ticket in the field the
amendment question has great bearing ON the
result of the election.